Working practices Flashcards
Flexbile workforce
Important to be able to match workforce skills, size and location to business needs.
Flexbile hours
Flexibility to employer, does not offer employees fixed number of hours. Option may vary to demand.
Homeworking
The ability to work from home and not having to travel to a workspace
Benefits and limitations to flexible working and homeworking to employee
Benefits to employee:
- Gives them more flexibility which may increase motivation.
- Working from home means they do not have to travel to a workspace
Limitations to employee:
- Harder to concentrate at home
- May not be as productive at home – miss out on social aspect of a office environment
Benefits and limitations to flexible working and homeworking to employer
Benefits to employers:
- May make business more efficient as lower costs and makes business more competitive.
- Keeps employees motivated
- Lower costs due to not having to provide a workspace
Limitations for employers:
- Decreased productivity
- Hard to monitor the amount of hours they do and quality of work
- Homeworking may lead to employee being less efficient/productive
Part-time
Contracted to less hours than full time contracts
Benefits and limitations of part time to an employee
Benefits to employee:
- Offers flexibility
Limitations to employee:
- Less job security
- Less consistency
Benefits and limitations of part-time to an employer
Benefits to employers:
- Offers flexibility to the workforce
Limitations to employers:
- Weaker employee relationships
Temporary employees
Contracted to work for the business over a specific period of time (Full time or part-time)
Benefits and limitations of temporary job to an employee
Benefit to employee:
- Allows them to find another job while still working
- Offers flexibility
Limitations to employee:
- Can’t build relations
- Job security
Benefits and limitations of temporary job to an employer
Benefits to employers:
- Can cover for missing employees or busier seasons.
- Can meet demand
Limitations to employers:
- Hard to build relationships
- You have to train them only for them to leave
- Commitment issues – will have a short term view and may not carry out their work to same standard as those who see long–term future within the business
Job sharing
One position normally be filled by one person on a full time basis is shared between two people who each work part-time.
Benefits and limitations to job sharing
Benefits:
- Can offer two different skill sets
- Can cover each other absences
Drawbacks:
- If not communicated may not work efficiently
- Need a good relationship between two sharing job
Multi-skilling
Making sure staff have lots of skills so can used in different parts of the business.
Benefits and limitations of mutli-skilling to employee
Benefits to employee:
- Employees more motivated as reduces boredom
Limitations to employee:
- Some employees could become demotivated
Benefits and limitations of multi-skilling to employer
Benefits to employers:
- Staff can be covered in any role
Drawbacks to employers:
- Takes more time and money to train in multiple roles
- Won’t have specialists in certain roles
Zero-hour contract
Employees not given a fixed or guaranteed amount of hours, only called in and paid when needed.
benefits and limitations of zero-hour contracts to employee
Benefits to employees:
- Offer flexibility
Limitations to employees:
- No stability – no garuanteed income
- No job security
benefits and limitations of zero-hour contracts to employer
Benefits to employers:
- It is cheap for the business
Limitations to employers:
- It is unethical
- Staff won’t be as productive due to treatment
